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S3590 - Summary

Provides for the state board of elections to undertake a study of the feasibility for voting by mail, telephone and/or the internet; authorizes a pilot program for such voting during the study; requires a report to the governor and legislature.

S3590 - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER: S3590
TITLE OF BILL :
An act providing for the state board of elections to undertake a study
on the feasibility of permitting voting by mail, telephone and/or the
internet and to establish pilot projects relating thereto
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :
This bill would require that the state board of elections do a study
of the feasibility of voting by mail, telephone and/or over the
internet. It would also empower it to establish pilot programs to
evaluate the feasibility of any of these methods of voting.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
Section 1 mandates that the state board of elections undertake a study
of the feasibility of voting by mail, telephone and/or over the
internet, that such a study may include pilot programs of each method,
and that it report to the legislature and the governor the results of
the study along with recommendations.
JUSTIFICATION :
One of the primary goals of any representative form of government
should be to have every eligible voter participate. While attaining
such a goal may be a practical impossibility, the legislature must
find ways to increase voter turnout. That is especially true given the

ominous decline in turnout Over the past four decades in New York
State. Since the 1956 election, the percentage of registered voters
who cast ballots has steadily fallen from over 93% to less than 64%.
In a recent nationwide study conducted for the League of Women Voters,
a majority of non-voters supported proposals which make voting more
convenient. Keeping the polls open longer and providing an opportunity
to vote by mail were both considered very helpful in getting them to
cast votes. This bill would require the board of elections to examine
the possibility of using mail, telephone and internet voting. In
almost all the tests of mail voting, it has significantly increased
voter participation. Recent elections in Oregon have been conducted by
mail with startlingly positive results and little or no fraud.
According to election officials in various parts of the country,
including New York State, the technology exists to use touch-tone
phones to securely case your vote. Given the constant decline in
voter participation in the electoral process, the state should examine
these methods of increasing turnout. The results of this study, when
presented to the legislature, will enable it to decide if this is a
course that New York should follow.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
Minimal.
EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3590
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 25, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sens. KRUEGER, HASSELL-THOMPSON, HUNTLEY, MONSERRATE,
OPPENHEIMER, PERKINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT providing for the state board of elections to undertake a study
on the feasibility of permitting voting by mail, telephone and/or the
internet and to establish pilot projects relating thereto
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The state board of elections shall undertake a study on the
feasibility of permitting voting by mail, telephone and/or the internet.
Such study shall include but not be limited to evaluation of the ability
of verifying votes by mail, telephone and/or the internet and the impact
on the number of the electorate voting in primary and general elections.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, at any
primary or general election during the undertaking of such study, the
state board of elections may provide a pilot program permitting voting
by mail, telephone and/or the internet. The state board of elections
shall submit such study including recommendations to the governor and
state legislature within twenty-four months of the effective date of
this act.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07524-01-9

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